Library - International Treaties and Declarations

International Treaties and Declarations

International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), 2004

ITPGRFA's goal is to ensure food security by maintaining public access to plant genetic materials "of actual or potential value for food and agriculture." It encourages the free exchange of these materials among farmers and plant breeders to promote healthy crops through genetic diversity and recognises farmers' rights to save, use, exchange and sell their harvested seed. The ITPGRFA encourages "benefit-sharing" among the providers and users of these materials, prohibiting patents and other intellectual property rights on all genetic material that is now in the public domain, as long as it is "in the form received." This clause enables the patenting of genetically engineered materials derived from public collections of seeds and other plant genetic materials. While supporting farmers' rights to save, use, sell and exchange seed, the ITGPRFA subordinates this right to national legislation.

Text of treaty

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